


We Are Family

by Squishmitten



Category: Holby City
Genre: BAW - Berena Appreciation Week 2018, Berena Appreciation Week, Day Two, F/F, Prompt - Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 07:58:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15681261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squishmitten/pseuds/Squishmitten
Summary: It’s party time, and neither Bernie, nor Serena are terribly enthusiastic at the prospect.





	We Are Family

“This is going to be such fun.” Serena said, in a deadpan monotone.

“Serena, I’ve told you, you really don’t have to come to this. I have no choice, but you do. Just remain in the cab once it’s dropped me off and go back home. I won’t mind, honestly.” Bernie lifted their clasped hands and kissed Serena’s knuckles.

“Darling, do you see this?” Serena raised her other hand and the gold band flashed under the passing street lights. “Remember the vows? ‘For better or for worse.’ Admittedly, this will be in the ‘worse’ column, but Bernie, you were there for me for  _ so much _ worse than this. Before we even made those vows, you were there with me every step of the way through the worst time of my life. If I can’t come with you to a lousy family party, what kind of a wife would I be?”

Bernie let go of Serena’s hand and put her arm around her wife’s shoulder, pulling her in as close as the seatbelts would allow.

“I love you, Serena Wendy Campbell.”

“And I love you, Berenice Griselda Wolfe.” she sniggered. “Sorry. I still can’t say that name with a straight face, my darling.”

“I know that only too well. You positively  _ cackled _ when we were saying our vows. And set the entire room off with you.” Bernie smiled at Serena, this being a well worn joke between them.

The taxi pulled up to the kerb, in front of the hotel where the shindig was being held.

“Last chance, Serena.”

Serena just looked Bernie in the eye, raised an eyebrow and undid her seatbelt. Bernie smiled, and followed suit. She thanked the driver and climbed out of the cab. Looking up at the hotel, she shook her head.

“I can’t imagine this place being Charlotte’s kind of venue, Serena, can you?”

“It is a bit ostentatious. Didn’t you say that Marcus insisted paying for the whole thing though? Presumably it was his choice.” Serena took hold of Bernie’s hand. “Lottie is definitely more of a knees up in the function room of her local pub kind of woman, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely. Jen is the same of course. I can’t imagine she’s too pleased with having to get all dressed up for tonight. Talking of being dressed up, did I tell you how stunning you look tonight, my love?”

“You did. Several times. And then demonstrated it too. Meaning I had to re-do my makeup. Twice.”

“The second time was instigated by you, Serena!”

Serena halted and turned Bernie around to face her, before pulling her into a lingering kiss.

“That was entirely your fault, for looking so beautiful, Ms Wolfe.”

 

They walked through the front entrance, into the very swish lobby. 

“I do have to give Marcus some credit though, he has never been less than completely supportive of Lottie since she came out.”

“True, I fully expected to need to bite my tongue against calling him all the names under the sun in front of her. It’s a shame we can’t say the same about your ex brother-in-law and sister-in-law as well. At least, from what you've told me about them.”

“God, I hope they’re not here tonight. I could do without having to face the sanctimonious twins.” Bernie pulled a face, and sniffed, “Both twice divorced, but forever holier than thou.”

They looked around the vast lobby, trying to spot where the party was being held.

“Hmmm, given their opinion of our wedding, I can’t imagine they would come to a party celebrating the engagement of two women. Darling, I think we’ll have to ask at the reception. This doesn’t exactly look like the type of place to have a trail of balloons and banners to follow.”

After receiving directions to the correct ‘event suite’, Serena and Bernie located the party. The first person they spotted was Jen, leaning against a wall and looking uncomfortable. As she spotted their approach, she brightened up.

“Oh thank goodness, someone to talk to finally!” Jen gave them both a big hug. “Lots has been monopolised by all the aunties and uncles and whatever from the moment we walked in. I’ve felt like a right spare part, I can tell you. Every time she’s tried to come over, she’s been grabbed by yet another oldie.” She gave them both a sly smile. “No disrespect.”

“Oi, behave yourself, cheeky. You’ve scrubbed up very well, Jen. That dress is amazing. Who knew you had actual legs beneath the denim?”

“I borrowed the dress from my sister. There was no way I was shelling out for an outfit I’ll never wear again. Talking of legs though, I see your missus elected to keep hers covered, Serena.” she turned to Bernie, “That is a sharp suit though, future mother-in-law.”

“I’ve told you before, Jennifer. There’s no need to be so formal. Major Wolfe will do.” Bernie smirked, knowing how much her daughter’s fiancée hated her full name being used.

“Have none of your friends arrived yet then, Jen?” asked Serena.

Jen snorted, “Nah, we decided against putting most of them through this. A few of Lottie’s old school friends are here, I think. This whole thing is so far from our usual scene, it's not even funny. We’re having a proper do next weekend, if you can make it. Back room at the Grapes, a few sarnies and sausage rolls and plenty of booze. We checked ahead of time, and they do a decent Shiraz, so you’ll be fine, Serena. I warned Dave the manager to make sure he had at least a case in the cellar.” Jen laughed and dodged away from Serena’s playful slap.

Both Bernie and Serena adored their soon to be daughter-in-law. Lottie and Jen had met in their first year at university. Next door neighbours in halls, they had first become firm friends, then after love had blossomed, devoted girlfriends. Now each of them was firmly on their chosen career path, they had decided it was time to tie the knot. Hence the engagement party.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m gasping. One hopes a fancy establishment like this will have a good quality Shiraz. I’m going to see if I can snag a couple of bottles, to save us going back and forth. I’ll be right back.”

Serena gave Bernie a quick kiss, patted Jen on the cheek and sashayed off in search of wine. Jen watched Bernie watching Serena cross the room. She loved seeing the look of adoration in the eyes of her beloved’s mum. Bernie and Serena were absolute relationship goals.

“I should really go and find Lottie, but I’ll be completely honest with you Jen, the prospect of running into all those aunties and uncles fills me with dread. I was never too fond of most of Marcus’s family back when we were married. Since the divorce and all the attached drama, I’ve been about as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip.”

“Even more so since you made Lots catch lesbian too, I’ll bet.”

Bernie and Jen looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  
  


Over at the bar, Serena couldn’t help smiling as she heard her wife’s distinctive laugh ring out across the room. Well, if that didn’t announce her presence at the party, nothing would.

“Oh god, the dyke is here. I wondered if she’d show her face.”

Serena froze when she heard those venomous words coming from a stocky, dark haired, potato-faced woman standing to her right.

“As if the terrible influence she’s clearly had on Charlotte isn’t bad enough, she has the gall to turn up to a family gathering.”

This from the equally stocky dark haired, potato-faced man standing beside her.

Serena took a deep breath, and counted to ten. Then counted to ten again. She took the two bottles of Shiraz she had sweet-talked from the lovely young barman, and three glasses. Smiled sweetly at the awful pair of human beings next to her, and returned to Bernie and Jen at the small table they had secured in a quiet corner of the room.

Bernie watched in consternation as Serena poured and immediately downed a large glass of wine.

“Serena, what on Earth happened at the bar?”

“I do believe, oh love of my life, that the sanctimonious twins are indeed here tonight. Unless there are another two bigoted arseholes who look remarkably like Marcus Dunn, standing at the bar.”

Bernie peered across the room, only to see exactly who Serena was talking about, staring right back.

“Oh fuck, it is them. Michael and Margaret, large as life and twice as ugly.”

“Ah, those are the pair that looked at me like I was something the cat had dragged in. Somehow, I don’t think they approve of the life choices Lots has made.”

“Trust me, Jen, they don’t approve of anything outside their narrow-minded, Tory voting, middle England, middle class, send all the foreigners home, whitewashed world. They’re the ones who did their damndest to stop Cameron and Charlotte from coming to our wedding. They even went to the extent of booking them a holiday in the bloody Maldives, with our wedding day slap-bang in the middle, then tried all the guilt-tripping techniques they could think of to make them go.” Bernie began to make healthy inroads on her own glass of wine.

“That’s  _ them _ ? I hadn’t realised. You know, I’ve always thought that Marcus was just a beard away from looking like a short-arse Bluto. Maybe the fact his sister does too, might account for at least part of the stick up her backside.”

The trio at the table looked at each other and couldn’t repress the laughter.

“Oh, Jennifer Collins, I am so glad you’re joining our little family!”

Serena held up her glass, “Cheers, darlings. Here’s to our little family.”

  
  



End file.
